Tracker Tuesdays

Tracker Tuesdays is a fun, community-wide initiative, with the added bonus that everyone can be citizen scientists, and contribute to helping our native species thrive in the Cromwell area.

We’re here to help, so if you have any questions after reading this, just get in touch.

Step 1

Tracking tunnels and chew cards can be purchased from us - but it’s also very easy to make your own. Detailed instructions are here. Lures are the foods that attract hungry predators - things like peanut butter or chocolate are definitely on the predator menu!

Put your tracking tunnels or chew cards out in your backyard. Placement ideas are included with the instructions. Think like a predator! Where would you go if you were a rat, mouse, hedgehog or possum? Ensure tunnels have clear, open ends and cover the outside with a few stones, leaves or branches.

Leave your tunnels and cards out for 5-7 days. Sometimes you can get evidence on the first night, but it usually takes a few days for nervous or shy predators to investigate the yummy smell coming from inside your tunnels or chew cards.

Step 2

After 5-7 days, it’s time to check your tunnels and chew cards. If you have nothing, then think about a better placement, or different lure.

If someone has been munching or leaving footprints, the instructions contain clues as to who it might be!

Step 3

Show us what you’ve found, so we can get a detailed picture of who is roaming where in our backyards!

Take a photo. Then there are two ways you can add to our database of information.

Post to Facebook. Make sure you add the hashtag #trackertuesday. Add the street your evidence is from, and tag Predator Free Cromwell. We’ll do a search each Tuesday, and add the details to our map.

If you don’t do Facebook, no problem. Just email your photo to us at predatorfreecromwell@gmail.com with your street address.

Step 4

We do the rest! Our volunteers collate the previous week’s data and add it to a map. Each Tuesday, starting 23rd June, 2026 we’ll post the results to our Facebook page.

You can feel great, knowing you’ve contributed to making Cromwell predator free, and helping our native birds and other species thrive here.